Moore, Hooper Make Naismith Watch List

Lincoln - Nebraska's Lindsey Moore and Jordan Hooper both earned spots on their third major national award watch list when the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced its top-50 contenders for the 2013 Naismith Trophy on Thursday, Nov. 15.

Hooper and Moore, who earlier this year made the 25-member Wade Watch List and the Wooden Award Preseason Top 30, made their second appearance together among the list of candidates for the Naismith Trophy. Last season, Moore and Hooper were among 32 midseason candidates for the 2012 Naismith Trophy.

Nebraska is one of 12 schools to have more than one player listed among the top 50 candidates for the Naismith Trophy. The Huskers join fellow Big Ten school Penn State (Alex Bentley, Maggie Lucas) among that group, which also includes upcoming Nebraska opponent Maryland (Tianna Hawkins, Laurin Mincy, Alyssa Thomas). The other schools with more than one honoree are Connecticut (4), Duke (2), Notre Dame (2), St. John's (2), Middle Tennessee State (2), Louisville (2), Oklahoma (2), Kansas (2) and Baylor (2). The defending national champion Lady Bears are led by reigning national player of the year Brittney Griner.

Moore, a 5-9 senior point guard from Covington, Wash., has started 100 consecutive games for the Huskers. Last season, she averaged 15.7 points, 5.1 assists and 2.2 steals per game a year ago for the 24-9 Huskers. Moore ranks No. 15 at NU in career points (1,185), No. 4 assists (510) and No. 8 in three-pointers (123). Moore was one of eight finalists a year ago for the Nancy Lieberman Award, presented to the nation's top point guard.

Hooper, a 6-2 junior forward from Alliance, Neb., has made 66 consecutive starts for the Huskers. As a sophomore in 2011-12, she averaged 18.9 points and a Big Ten-best 9.3 rebounds per game while also leading the Big Ten with 14 double-doubles. An honorable-mention AP All-American and a first-team All-Big Ten choice as a sophomore, Hooper ranks No. 20 at Nebraska in career points with 1,097. She also ranks No. 5 on NU's career three-point list with 138. She is tied for No. 7 on Nebraska's career double-doubles chart with 18, including 12 points and 14 rebounds in a win over Temple on Nov. 11 to help the Huskers improve to 2-0 this season.

Hooper and Moore lead the Huskers against Northern Arizona on Friday at the Devaney Center. Tip-off between Nebraska and the Lumberjacks is set for 7:05 p.m. Last season against NAU, Hooper (32) and Moore (31) combined for 63 points, becoming the first teammates in school history to each score 30 or more points in the same game. They each scored 25 points after halftime against the Lumberjacks.